1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electronic media acquisition, indexing, storage, association, and communication. In particular, the present invention relates to enhancing existing services including call centers, news services, and police and other emergency services with electronic media obtained from a variety of sources in a uniform or ad-hoc manner.
2. Background Information
The technologies supporting and incorporated into consumer electronics devices, driven by strong market demand, have matured rapidly and become quite powerful in a short time period. In cellular telephony, for instance, portable phones have quickly evolved from cumbersome heavy devices to miniature lightweight all purpose communicators. The level of technology integration and sophistication in portable phones has risen to the point where cell phones now incorporate digital cameras, voice annotation, email, calendaring, and appointment functions in a single package.
Similarly, miniaturization, sensitivity, and resolution advances have benefited security cameras, microphones, motion sensors, proximity sensors and other types of sensing equipment. As an example, inexpensive security cameras, less than an inch and a half in diameter, are available that provide color video and wireless image transmission to a remote surveillance location. Similarly, small high sensitivity microphones are available to supplement security images with real time audio feedback, and 3-mega pixel digital cameras are commonplace.
In other settings, however, technology has not had such a dramatic impact. For example, an emergency call center (e.g., a 911 call center) typically has limited technological resources that it can draw upon to handle emergency calls. Some call centers may only include a telephone interface to handle incoming calls, a radio dispatch interface to alert the relevant authorities, and a call routing system to direct incoming calls to the appropriate operators. As another example, an appliance maintenance hotline may simply include a telephone interface to handle incoming calls, a technician that responds to the telephone calls, and a pre-generated service manual stored on a local machine that the technician may consult while handling the call.
As a result, individuals often experience a frustrating disconnect between the capabilities associated with the devices they use on a daily basis, and services that they turn to for help or for information. In many instances individuals have the capability to capture media that would greatly improve the service they could receive from a call center, but call centers are unprepared to accept and incorporate the media into their processes. The technology gap renders call centers and other services exasperating and sometimes annoying to use. More importantly, however, the call centers and other services are less effective than they otherwise could be, and therefore, as an example, less adept at rendering aid, disseminating information, and protecting citizens through law enforcement related activities.
There is a need for addressing the problems noted above and other previously experienced.